Are You CURIOUS To Find Out More? part 1

The Cabinet Of Curiosity is an early example of a library and museum partnership.

History
The formation of Cabinets of Curiosity began in the 16th century and reached its peak of popularity in the 17th century. They were originally personal collections of wealthy individuals that were arranged and kept in a special room in their home for safekeeping and private viewing. The cabinets were encyclopedic in approach and their contents emphasized the exotic, the rare, and the marevelous. Both natural and man-made objects were included, and it was also common for the cabinet to represent local history, products, and natural resources. With the discovery of the Americas and the newly opened trade routes to Asia, an increased number of rarities had quickly found their way into the eclectic cabinets. No two cabinets were alike because they reflected the particular interests and obsessions of its owner.

Examples of What may Have Been Found in a Cabinet of Curiosity
There was a vast range of objects that were included in the Cabinets of Curiosity. They included plant and mineral samples, fossils, shells, coral, zoological specimens (especially monstrous one), exotic artifacts from distant cultures, weapons, tools, instruments, works of art, peasant costumes, mementos of the past, and books.

Books Within the Cabinets
There were two kinds of functions for books:
1. books as items of curiosity
-Some books were considered as works of art because they
contained drawings or illustrations.
2. books used for instruction (for the collector and his visitors)
-There may be books that offered further explaination on particular objects.
-For example, there may be books on botany to accompany
specimens or books on art history that complemented works of art.

Where were the books kept?
-If a book was used for the purpose of instruction, it was generally
placed on a table in the room where a person could sit down and read it.
-Books that were items of curiosity were either integrated within
the collection or they had a seperate area that was called the library.

Purpose of the Cabinets
There were two general types of Cabinets: Aristocratic and Scholarly
Aristocratic
-These collections belonged to members of the noble class and their
primary aim was to use the Cabinet as a way of symbolically
displaying their power and prestige.
Scholarly
-These Cabinets were used as tools for acquiring knowledge and
proof of that knowledge.
-These collections could also reinforce an owner's social standing or
help him climb the social ladder if he had noteworthy curiosities.

-Both categories of Cabinets were focused on provoking a sense of
curiosity and wonder in the viewer.

How They Were Organized
-Objects were arranged within the room according to their owner's personal notions of importance, similarity, historical and geographical connections, and aesthetic appeal.
-The classification systems that the collectiors used in which to organize their holdings became precursors to the modern organization systems for geology, anthropology, art history, chemistry, botany, and comparative literature.
The items were hung on the walls, on the ceiling, placed on shelves, or stored in compartments.

People Who Had Cabinets
-Cabinets were owned by members of royalty, clerics, popes, professionals (botanists, naturalists, scientists, pharmacists), and merchants.
-Some famous people that had Cabinets of Curiosity
were Thomas Jefferson, Charles Willson Peale, Benjamin Franklin, Francesco I de Medici, Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II, Jean de France, Felix Platter, and Ole Worm.